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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2018 23:30:36 GMT
Honestly, whenever I do head out West on the stretch out of Paddington, at first I used to wait for a 345 if it wasn't too long but I soon stopped after finally convincing myself they are just oversized tube trains with hard seats and literally nothing else. I know we are very fortunate to have them and the air con is also great but 387s are a much nicer environment to travel in and I wonder if people further out West will complain about the removal of comfort on their commute when crossrail does branch out to Reading
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Post by whistlekiller2000 on Jun 13, 2018 6:07:25 GMT
Honestly, whenever I do head out West on the stretch out of Paddington, at first I used to wait for a 345 if it wasn't too long but I soon stopped after finally convincing myself they are just oversized tube trains with hard seats and literally nothing else. I know we are very fortunate to have them and the air con is also great but 387s are a much nicer environment to travel in and I wonder if people further out West will complain about the removal of comfort on their commute when crossrail does branch out to Reading <iframe width="32.1400000000001" height="3.719999999999999" style="position: absolute; width: 32.1400000000001px; height: 3.719999999999999px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 15px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_72651540" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="32.1400000000001" height="3.719999999999999" style="position: absolute; width: 32.14px; height: 3.72px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1538px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_41922990" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="32.1400000000001" height="3.719999999999999" style="position: absolute; width: 32.14px; height: 3.72px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 15px; top: 126px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_41887608" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="32.1400000000001" height="3.719999999999999" style="position: absolute; width: 32.14px; height: 3.72px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 1538px; top: 126px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_70306375" scrolling="no"></iframe> Of course they'll complain. It's what the British do best!
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Post by 315 on Jun 13, 2018 10:34:27 GMT
I've been out on the west twice this week. On Sunday I discovered that the 345's have a day off. Today I wanted to travel on a 345 but alas it did not happen. Instead from Ealing Broadway the first train heading west was a 387 in GWR livery. As I was using Oyster PAYG I decided to not wait for a 345, in case the wait meant that I breached the journey time limit. The 387 had a much higher specced interior than the 345's, complete with 2+2 seating arranged around tables and toilets. This train took me straight to Hayes and Harlington (non-stop) where there was a 345 in the bay. My other attempt to travel in a 345 in west London was thwarted by the train not stopping at the station where I was waiting for it. This was Hanwell. It seems that only the 360's are stopping here. I was told that this is because its a quiet station which did not surprise me as I had a devil of job finding it. In the end I had to ask three different groups people to point me in the right direction. From the A4020 at Hanwell (next to the clock tower) I saw a sign pointing to Boston manor Piccadilly line station but it was as if Hanwell was a state secret. What struck me was that passengers to the west of London will have a much greater choice of services and trains with varying internal specifications than passengers to the east of London. Simon Hmm, Hanwell will be served by the Class 345's once SDO is enabled. The 7 cars that currently run on the west were meant for the east where SDO isn't a requirement at present. Once the signalling on the Airport branch is sorted and 9 cars start running there, 345's will call at Hanwell.
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Post by spsmiler on Jun 13, 2018 21:37:13 GMT
Hmm, Hanwell will be served by the Class 345's once SDO is enabled. The 7 cars that currently run on the west were meant for the east where SDO isn't a requirement at present. Once the signalling on the Airport branch is sorted and 9 cars start running there, 345's will call at Hanwell. Yes but how frequently? Ideally they should stop here every 15 minutes. This 'turn up and go' frequency might even result in more people using them! I saw a sign about SDO next to where the train driver will be during the 'station stop'. As I understand it Hanwell is a heritage station and because of its low passenger usage the platforms are not being lengthened, so SDO will be a permanent feature. The island platform here has the now 'standard feature' of a metal barrier to keep passengers away from the fast tracks. The way its been done here also means that some seating (facing the fast tracks) is now impossible to access.* Something that might help the station's patronage is if the station's location was not a state secret... there should be a sign near the clocktower pointing towards Station Road and another sign next to where pedestrians need to turn right and walk along another road which I think is named Station Approach. Simon *(General comment, based on experience at another station served by Class 345 trains [Ilford], from personal experience as a child I can understand the need for that barrier but nevertheless I don't like it, because at busy times it is easier to walk to the far end of the platform along the side of the platform buildings next to the fast tracks - rather than push through the crowds on the platform face that is being used.
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Post by silenthunter on Jun 15, 2018 18:52:08 GMT
Honestly, whenever I do head out West on the stretch out of Paddington, at first I used to wait for a 345 if it wasn't too long but I soon stopped after finally convincing myself they are just oversized tube trains with hard seats and literally nothing else. I know we are very fortunate to have them and the air con is also great but 387s are a much nicer environment to travel in and I wonder if people further out West will complain about the removal of comfort on their commute when crossrail does branch out to Reading We have 387s on c2c and I can't say they're much nicer than the 345s; the seats are worse if anything.
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Post by superteacher on Jun 19, 2018 19:42:58 GMT
Sounds like another class 345 meltdown this evening which caused long delays between Liverpool St and Shenfield.
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Post by goldenarrow on Jun 19, 2018 20:12:15 GMT
Sounds like another class 345 meltdown this evening which caused long delays between Liverpool St and Shenfield. According to some of the less abusive armchair experts on Twitter, it was indeed a 345. 2W32 (16:47 Liverpool St - Shenfield) was the first a few that had to de-train at Ilford thus instigating a chain reaction.
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Jun 23, 2018 18:20:47 GMT
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Post by silenthunter on Jun 23, 2018 18:33:16 GMT
Quite.
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Post by londonstuff on Jun 23, 2018 22:32:53 GMT
Click here if embedded tweet fails to display. No fault found, driver.
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Post by Deep Level on Jul 9, 2018 6:33:40 GMT
My train this morning was ridiculously hot, I'm not sure if the heating was on or if it was just body heat but there certainly wasn't any air-conditioning on. I totally understand why there aren't openable windows but surely the temperature needs to be more closely monitored? It was actually so unbearable that I actually got off at Stratford and changed to a GA train to get to Liverpool Street because I would not have been able to handle another 6 minutes of it.
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Post by Chris W on Jul 9, 2018 19:42:03 GMT
Nine car 345 027 is currently stabled at Gidea Park sidings...
No doubt being used re guage testing re the length of platforms....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2018 22:26:47 GMT
Nine car 345 027 is currently stabled at Gidea Park sidings... No doubt being used re guage testing re the length of platforms.... Good guess but not correct Chris. Is there to run a few trips over the new CBTC balises in the Stratford area to gather data. BTW it wasn't in Gidea Park a couple of hours ago.
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Post by stapler on Jul 11, 2018 7:10:21 GMT
CBTC balises???!! Please explain!
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Post by whistlekiller2000 on Jul 11, 2018 8:46:23 GMT
CBTC balises???!! Please explain! "Communications-based train control beacons". Although it's easy to google these things most of the time like I've just done, a short explanation of technical terms or unusual words would be appreciated like we've asked for many times in the past.
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Post by principlesdesigner on Jul 11, 2018 9:08:23 GMT
The balises are placed at known locations along the track and, when read, are used to reset the train's distance measuring equipment, which if not done (fairly) regularly, will lead to the train becoming "lost", as the potential error building up will be too great. More balises are required on the approaches to stations to ensure an accurate ATO stop. The balises perform a similar function to the transpositions in the loops on the Seltrac system, and the Absolute Position References, APRs on the Victoria line
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2018 17:13:34 GMT
CBTC balises???!! Please explain! "Communications-based train control beacons". Although it's easy to google these things most of the time like I've just done, a short explanation of technical terms or unusual words would be appreciated like we've asked for many times in the past. At 11pm having been out of the house for 15 hours I thought I'd give a longstanding forum member some quick info. I did not have the time or inclination to consider whether any of the terms I used were so technical as to need explaining. I don't see a problem with somebody asking for more information if text isn't clear and I'll answer it if I know the answer as I've demonstrated many times on this forum. In future I won't bother posting unless I have time to read, edit and explain each post sufficiently. Which will be not very often.
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Post by superteacher on Jul 11, 2018 22:11:33 GMT
"Communications-based train control beacons". Although it's easy to google these things most of the time like I've just done, a short explanation of technical terms or unusual words would be appreciated like we've asked for many times in the past. At 11pm having been out of the house for 15 hours I thought I'd give a longstanding forum member some quick info. I did not have the time or inclination to consider whether any of the terms I used were so technical as to need explaining. I don't see a problem with somebody asking for more information if text isn't clear and I'll answer it if I know the answer as I've demonstrated many times on this forum. In future I won't bother posting unless I have time to read, edit and explain each post sufficiently. Which will be not very often. The advice you were given is quite simple and is designed to make the forum as accessible as possible. You may have been replying to a specific member, but your post is free for all to read. Unlike you, we are not all experts in the transport field.
I have often enjoyed your posts and found them informative. However, your reaction to a simple piece of advice is very strange. Feel free to reflect on this.
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Post by ted672 on Jul 17, 2018 18:58:38 GMT
On recent journeys from Stratford to Romford I've noticed that the car I'm traveling in has stickers on all three sets of doors advising that they may not open at some stations. I would expect this at the ends of the train, however, I travel near the middle (in car 340 714 tonight)and that's about halfway along the train. Has Bill Stickers been over zealous, or is there a logical explanation?
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Post by Chris M on Jul 17, 2018 19:26:00 GMT
Some doors in the middle of cars will not open at sharply curved platforms where the is regarded as too large. I think Paddington mainline is the only plate where this happens but I could be wrong.
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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 17, 2018 20:33:19 GMT
Platforms 10,11 and 12 are curved making the middle doors of the 345's taper away significantly from the platform edge, it's a fairly unique combination as the 345's feature car lengths previously exclusive to Intercity stock which by itself isn't a problem but having a set of doors in the middle does. Can't think of a another station a present that would require a similar format although Liverpool St (NR) might do when the 345's are extended to nine cars.
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Post by norbitonflyer on Jul 17, 2018 20:37:36 GMT
Platforms 10,11 and 12 are curved making the middle doors of the 345's taper away significantly from the platform edge, Surely the problem is only on the even numbered platforms, where the curvature is concave, so the middle of a carriage is a long way from the platform? On platform 11 the gaps will be at the ends of the carriages, not the middle.
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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 17, 2018 21:06:54 GMT
Platforms 10,11 and 12 are curved making the middle doors of the 345's taper away significantly from the platform edge, Surely the problem is only on the even numbered platforms, where the curvature is concave, so the middle of a carriage is a long way from the platform? On platform 11 the gaps will be at the ends of the carriages, not the middle. Recently caught a train from platform 11 and the middle doors were cut out in-spite of a perfectly acceptable gap in most places, I have a feeling that the software does not take into account the differing profiles of the platforms at Paddington even though as you say, it should is only really necessary on certain parts of select platforms.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2018 1:06:39 GMT
I have a feeling that the software does not take into account the differing profiles of the platforms at Paddington even though as you say, it should is only really necessary on certain parts of select platforms. Being both a horrid pedant and a software engineer, I just want to point out that it is not the software that takes this into account, but the people who program it. Unless 345s have platform edge sensors, it all has to be pre-programmed.
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Post by ted672 on Jul 20, 2018 11:39:49 GMT
Belated thanks for the explanations on the door stickers. I presume the curved platforms at Paddington will not be used once the service begins running through the tunnels.
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Post by Chris M on Jul 20, 2018 11:49:57 GMT
I know the plan is that there will still be peak-hour workings into Liverpool Street NR, but I can't remember if the same is true about Paddington.
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Post by jukes on Jul 20, 2018 16:42:40 GMT
I know the plan is that there will still be peak-hour workings into Liverpool Street NR, but I can't remember if the same is true about Paddington. No. Only LST.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2018 10:44:32 GMT
I recently took a 345 out of and into Paddington and I noticed the little circular signs with what seems to be a door with a cross on it (to say it's not in use) never came on even though the centre doors weren't in use. There was no announcement about it either and i saw a few people try to open them confused. Even if they were illuminated, the 'out of use' signs seem very small and almost pointless. They could also just keep the button illuminated red.
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Post by rincew1nd on Jul 22, 2018 7:52:42 GMT
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Post by peterc on Jul 22, 2018 11:58:48 GMT
Belated thanks for the explanations on the door stickers. I presume the curved platforms at Paddington will not be used once the service begins running through the tunnels. Presumably the platforms in the main station will still be used if there are problems in the tunnels. Whatever signage you provide it will not be obvious enough for some passengers. For a huge section of society it doesn't seem to be intuitive to see a red X as a sign of closure. Just watch people trying to get through the wrong gates at any station or driving in a closed lane on a motorway.
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